GOOD THING: Long-time Birds of Prey fans have been clamoring for a return of the weird romance between anti-hero Huntress and anti-villain Catman. And boy do we ever get it!
Gail Simone manages the impossible here. First, she has given us a self-contained story - which is as rare as unicorns in these days of writing for the trade!
Next, she has crafted this entire story based upon fan demand, centered around an old plot-point... and yet somehow made that story completely accessible to newer readers who never read the stories where the two started to romance one another!
Finally, she gives us a truly surprising twist ending that makes perfect sense given the characters involved, avoiding the trap so many lesser writers fall into so easily regarding a sudden reveal on the last page of the mystery.
This may not be the a perfect comic book story... but it's damned close.
BAD THING: For the most part, the artwork is good, but some pages come off as a little too posed and too much like a pin-up poster. In this page, for instance, Huntress appears to be - as the nature show hosts would put it - "presenting rearly".
This may be a subtle sub-textual commentary on Helena's desires manifesting unconsciously through her body language in the heat of battle... but I doubt it.
The Final Verdict: Easily the best self-contained single-issue story Gail Simone has ever written and a perfect introduction to Birds of Prey for you poor, unfortunate souls who aren't reading this book already. Read it! Love it! The Starman has spoken.
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